


Dark is Not All Bitter

by nerav



Category: THE iDOLM@STER, THE iDOLM@STER: SideM
Genre: Chocolate, Fluff, Gift Fic, M/M, SideM fandom chocolate taste wars continue, Valentine's Day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-14
Updated: 2019-02-14
Packaged: 2019-10-27 19:39:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,291
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17773004
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nerav/pseuds/nerav
Summary: This Valentine's Day, Asselin plans to make a cake for once.





	Dark is Not All Bitter

**Author's Note:**

> This is also a late birthday gift for my good friend Emely/@asseIins !! Happy birthday, you crackhead
> 
> Also, this is in Asselin's POV for once, so the purple prose is intentional, I promise.

The fourteenth of February. A day of feasts for the Morning Star’s ascension (who happens to say ‘ciao’ a lot). The day of an alchemy ritual between two mortals, who offer their hearts in Equivalent Exchange to make each other stronger (and there also happens to be a lot of chocolate). The day of a performance where the devils dance around a pyre, in celebration for their dark lord’s blessing (where Kamiya will be on stage and the rest of café watch safely from the audience).

And more importantly… the day Asselin could impress Kamiya, in the most meaningful way possible.

Asselin may profess the inspirations from the dark arts, but even he was not oblivious to the feelings of love. Even the strongest Overlord would break the bread for his family and peons, for their totalitarianism would not remain sturdy without their suppor. And Kamiya was his familiar in a sense, the very inspiration that empowered his strength. Kamiya was his beacon―and while he didn’t dare to say it, his love as well.

If this “Day of Valentine” was a measure people would profess their appreciation for another, then he wanted to join in on their fun for a change. Gifts from fans were always appreciated, but he wanted to experience the joy he witnessed when seeing Makio and Saki together, or those outside his unit as well.

But the process would require time and energy, both of which Asselin was determined to squeeze every minute of. At dawn, he prepared his ingredients (potions, to his mind) and carried them to Café Parade. There, Asselin stationed himself squarely in the kitchen, multi-tasking both the orders of his guests and his own personal project: a tall, highly decorated milk chocolate cake, adorned with hearts and pig-shaped icings.

Even after hours, he never budged from his spot. It was only a matter of time before others intrude his abode to observe him: those being Saki and Makio, holding hands like knitted partners.

As soon as Makio opened the doors, he took a whiff of air. “ _Ahhh_ ,” he murmured, smiling warmly, “that smells like a delicious cake!”

“Roll, you’re going to drool if you keep sniffing,” Saki giggled.

As if enchanted by a magic spell, Makio drew near Asselin to overlook his work of art. He let out a tiny gasp at the tower-shape and its design. “Asselin- _san_ , are you baking a Valentine’s Day cake? Is that why you’ve been so quiet today?”

Asselin shifted uncomfortably, glancing away and ignoring the rush of blood spreading to his cheeks. “Y-Yes,” he mumbled.

Makio beamed. “Why, you should have told me before! I know cakes so well, I’d love to help you with that! And… maybe have a share of the mixing bowl myself.”

“N-No,” he stumbled to reply quickly, “I do not wish to trouble you over this….”

He blinked. “Really?" His eyes lit. "Then... is it a surprise for me?”

“Your birthday already passed, silly!” Saki exclaimed gleefully.

“That's okay! I’m always willing to take late cake gifts!”

“I-I’m sorry,” Asselin said, eyes downcast, “but this is not for you….”

“Oh.”

For a moment, Asselin feared the disappointment on Makio’s face. Though his true love would always be for Kamiya, he loved the rest of Café Parade just as strongly, and dared never to make them sad. He slowly looked back at Makio at a careful glance.

Makio looked perfectly content, smiling as genuine as always. “That’s alright! Though, now I’m curious who is this for then….”

“Why not ask Soichiro for help?” Saki said, tilting his head.

Asselin let out a heavy sigh. He had hoped to keep this offering to himself, and wished the enchantments on this abode would keep people out of sight. But feeling his energy depleted, he had no choice but to break his oath of silence.

“This is,” he began, gaining back his usual confident façade to deter his flustering, “this is merely a tribute that requires only my blood to perform! Any other unnecessary ingredients would cause this spell to go awry. Therefore, I must be left alone, else the consequences may cast an omen over our entire establishment!”

He let out a shaky cackle, hoping the others would take the hint and leave. Unfortunately, Saki and Makio knew him far too long to be deterred with fanciful speech. Underneath all that purple prose, the nugget of truth hung like the apple of Eve to them.

Ignoring his words, Saki shot a glance over the cake. His eyes widened when they fixated on the pig decorations. It only took a few minutes for him to put two-and-two together.

“I see,” he laughed, “I get it now… This is all for Leader, isn’t―”

Asselin nearly dropped his spoon in alarm. He almost had half the mind to cover Saki's mouth, but dared not touch a friend in such an offending manner, even if his heart stopped as it felt now. "P-Please don’t say that out loud! Else a demon would form a pact with him!”

The idea clicked into Makio’s head as well. He nodded intently. “I get it… Wow, that really is so sweet of you, Asselin! I’m sure he would be really happy!”

Asselin couldn’t maintain his composure. Like a weakened spirit, he crumbled his fingertips and faced away, cheeks burning brighter like a fire. “I-I hope so,” he whispered, looking down at the cake.

Asselin knew his prowess didn’t align with sweets. But for Kamiya, he was willing to do everything for him. The only problem was: would his meager offering be enough to appease such a god?

“Oh, but….” Saki pointed to the cake. “This is milk chocolate, isn’t it?”

His confidence restored. He closed his eyes and hovered a hand over his eyepatch. “Of course! Only the finest kinds of chocolate, imported from Belgium, is required for this ritual!”

(Ironically, his favorite, but he digressed).

“But,” Makio added, “Leader’s favorite is dark, actually."

“D-Dark…?”

Asselin felt his heart sank.

“T-That must be a mistake!” he sputtered. “A man fueled with such pure white energy would never dabble to the darkness!”

“No, it definitely is,” Saki said. “He gets a lot of _papi_ -tasting dark chocolate from fans.”

“W-What….?”

He took a hard look at the cake. He contemplated all the hours it took collecting and molding these chocolates like a statue. And all of it… was for a complete mistake?

No longer was his hard work a sufficent tribute for Kamiya. He deserved the very best, and Asselin failed that point at step one.

He crumbled his lips, shutting his eyes to hold back his tears. Solemnly, he discarded the entire cake and placed it aside, where the cakes for customers were stored.

“B-But Asselin- _san_!” Makio exclaimed. “You don’t need to do that! I’m sure he’ll love it anyway as it is.”

“No,” Asselin said, shaking his head. “I must start from scratch. Otherwise….”

He couldn’t finish his sentence. “ _Otherwise_ , _I_ _cannot_ _show_ _Kamiya_ _my_ _full_ _affection_ ,” burned in his mind.

He looked at the clock. The café was almost closing. In just an hour, Kamiya would leave for home; and though Asselin could resume his gift-making at their place, its magic would lose its effectiveness if Kamiya took a sample overseeing his progress before the final product. 

He couldn't give up either, however. Kamiya deserved _something_ ; not just for his sake, but for Asselin’s as well. If he wanted to give him a well-deserved gift, he had to act fast. He prayed to all the lords that kept him company with the adrenaline and determination to re-do his cake in even quicker speed.

“I must make haste!” he shouted, rushing towards the pantry. “I shall pick up my mantle and prepare my strongest spell yet!”

“Good luck, Asselin!” Saki cheered from the distance. “You’re going to make the _papi_ -est treat ever!”

“We’ll keep the customers busy, so don’t worry!” Makio shouted as well.

He was so lucky to have a family with them. Even though his mind was shattered in doubt and self-loathing, their encouraging words were enough to motivate him.

Asselin swiftly collected a large bowl and scooped a copious amount of dark chocolate. He filled it to the very top, worrying less about the leftovers or the shakiness in holding such a heavy pot. All he could think right now was _Kamiya_.

His mind was barely conscious as he maneuvered back to the kitchen. His feet moved by every thought of Kamiya: his handsome face, his warm smile, his soft expressions, his soothing voice, his gentle caresses, and the pureness of his heart. He truly was his muse, fueling Asselin with more courage.

The beneficial part of his last mistake was that he had enough experience to try again with a smoother process. As soon as he went through those doors, he would work until his body ached to make that cake before Kamiya left. Smiling once more, he slid through the opening―

―and to his shock and detriment, Kamiya went through those doors at the very same time.

Asselin could barely react as their bodies collided with a heavy thud. The momentum of their crash caused Asselin to stumble back. His scarf fell out in disarray, which he unfortunately stepped on as well, causing him to slip to the floor. Kamiya also lost balance and fell as well.

The heavy pot Asselin held went flying overhead. And every single droplet of dark chocolate flushed over the two of them, like a heavy rainfall. Their hair and clothes were dyed in the creamy, dark-brown substance, as if they had converted into demons themselves.

Asselin was used to the darkness. But Kamiya… Kamiya….

“Kamiya!” he exclaimed, squeezing his own head in alarm. “I am so sorry!”

He feared Kamiya would groan and shot him an annoyed look. Though he had every right to be distressed, to see Kamiya upset would stir up all sorts of bad memories. An important person in his life sharing that winced frustration was a sight he saw too many times growing up. And always, they ended in disaster.

This ritual seemed to have backfired and did the opposite of what he hoped to accomplish. He held his breath, held back tears, as he anticipated his dramatic fall from grace.

But instead, Kamiya laughed, with such cherub-like innocence.

“K-Kamiya…?”

“What is this?” Kamiya asked in amusement. He wiped some of the chocolate off his face. With a small sniff, he recognize the edible quality of it. Calmly, he took a taste.

“Oh,” Kamiya said after his "meal", smiling, “this is dark chocolate, correct? That’s my favorite kind. But… I thought you liked milk chocolate more?”

“Y-Yes,” Asselin murmured, his cheeks flushing, “I do, but… this wasn’t for me….”

“I see.. Hm, I wonder who then... I don’t recall the rest of the Café liking dark… I guess I’m just the only one,” he laughed.

“T-That….” Asselin gulped hard. “That is why I was bringing it.”

Kamiya’s eyes widened. “Really? What for?”

Asselin lowered his head in shame. He squeezed his knuckles over his lap, not caring for the chocolate that dripped like water. “It was… It was supposed to be a Valentine’s Day gift… to you….”

Kamiya gasped.

“B-But,” Asselin continued, trying to quell the choking in his throat, “it’s ruined now… That was the last dark chocolate mix, and I…. I foolishly prepared a milk chocolate one before without realizing this!”

“Asselin….”

“We’ve been living together for so long… and yet, I failed to grasp that fact about you, Kamiya. I… have no right to offer you this mess, after everything you have done for me….”

Asselin wasn’t sure if it was chocolate or tears falling down his face. His heart ached like the latter.

“Asselin,” Kamiya rested a hand over his quivering fist. The sudden contact forced Asselin to face him. Instead of disappointment, Kamiya eyed Asselin in that same adorning face, like how they first met, smiling warmly. “The thought is what ultimately matters on a day like this… After all, we perform not with gifts, but with words to our fans.”

Asselin was too stunned to reply.

“Besides,” Kamiya continued, laughing softly, “it’s not ruined at all.” He took more chocolate off his cheek and licked it clean off. “It’s delicious, no matter what form it is. I really appreciate that you did all this for me.”

He couldn’t hold back his blush. “K-Kamiya….”

“Oh,” he laughed once more, “but… it’s still a lot to handle by myself… Care to join me?”

“I… I don’t really like dark chocolate too much… it’s a little bitter.”

At last, Asselin smiled to mirror Kamiya’s warmth. “But, for you, I’d do anything, just like you always have done everything for me.”

“I’m glad to hear that," Kamiya said, his smile never wavering. "But, you know... dark chocolate isn’t always so bitter. It can actually be sweet at times.”

“How so? Even a sorcerer as myself cannot taste it. It feels like the fires of hell scorch through my intestines with every bite."

“Here then,” Kamiya murmured. "Allow me to show you...."

He didn’t say anything to explain. Instead, Kamiya collected Asselin’s cheeks and drew him closer. He pressed his lips against him, letting Asselin taste both his soft, exquisite lips and the dark chocolate flavor washed over them.

Asselin hummed in solace. Once the fear washed away, he held Kamiya closer and deepened kiss. It wasn't the ideal romantic image―what with their clothes soaked and smelling like sweets, and their kisses turned sloppy with the messes over their bodies―but it was that one simple kiss that turned his entire day around. 

Perhaps, this is the true sweetness of chocolate.

 


End file.
